Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Watertown, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Watertown, NY: $2,027 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Watertown, NY
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Watertown, NY Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Watertown, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Watertown, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Watertown, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,027 in Watertown, NY.

Lisbon $2,223
Watertown, NY $2,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $3,043 in Watertown, NY.

Lisbon $3,271
Watertown, NY $3,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $4,058 in Watertown, NY.

Lisbon $4,319
Watertown, NY $4,058

Living in Lisbon is roughly 10% more expensive than in Watertown, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Watertown, NY 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$13.72 $13.72

20.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$64.0 $64.0

-4.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$11.93 $11.93

-5.53%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.02 $4.02

-23.88%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.64 $2.64

-14.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.10 $2.10

-17.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$5.07 $5.07

-33.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$7.03 $7.03

-51.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.86 $0.86

30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.74 $2.74

-32.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$5.59 $5.59

-72.63%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.01 $3.01

31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$13.05 $13.05

-2.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$4.28 $4.28

84.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$15.98 $15.98

6.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.56 $3.56

-36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.48 $1.48

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.22 $2.22

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$5.15 $5.15

-50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.65 $2.65

-29.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.99 $2.99

-32.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.98 $0.98

46.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.51 $0.51

60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$14.44 $14.44

-54.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$9.12 $9.12

-38.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.56 $1.56

-17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.98 $1.98

4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$5.15 $5.15

-22.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.21 $2.21

-50.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$45.90 $45.90

-63.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.94 $0.94

142.55%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.7K €30.0K

$35.6K $35.6K

-5.38%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.3K €35.0K

$25.5K $25.5K

54.29%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$167 €149

$188 $188

-11.03%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.80 €16.72

$52.4 $52.4

-64.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$66.4 $66.4

-50.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$37.14 $37.14

23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$10.91 $10.91

-9.81%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$677 €602

$1,484 $1,484

-54.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$32.2K $32.2K

-47.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$29.66 $29.66

241.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$44.13 $44.13

3.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$88.6 $88.6

12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$102 $102

20.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,147 $1,147

40.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$980 $980

22.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,600 $1,600

78.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,781 $1,781

11.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$1,477 $1,477

412.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$1,502 $1,502

186.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$3,401 $3,401

-53.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.52

-40.95%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Watertown, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Watertown, NY

$980 48.3% 18.1% $217

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Watertown, NY

$294 14.5% 9.2% $25

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Watertown, NY

$252 12.4% 4.1% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Watertown, NY

$307 15.1% 39.9% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Watertown, NY

$119 5.9% 28.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Watertown, NY

$59 2.9% 10.2% $6.7

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Watertown, NY

$16 * 0.8% 74.3% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $1,147 in Watertown, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Watertown, NY pays 114% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Watertown, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $294 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Watertown, NY

🕒 Local time

00:47 12:47 AM

19:47 7:47 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

31,915

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Watertown, NY 5,450 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Watertown, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Watertown, NY differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $2,027 including rent). Watertown, NY is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 114% lower in Watertown, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,147 in Watertown, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $2,027 in Watertown, NY – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,027 in Watertown, NY versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Watertown, NY but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Watertown, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Watertown, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Watertown, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.